2Lt Paul E. Krueger was originally
assigned as the pilot for Crew 37. At some point during training he was
reassigned, reason unknown. He was transferred to the 15AF 451BG in Castelluccio, Italy. On May 5, 1944 his crew was shot down by fighters near Ploesti, Romania. Two of his crew were KIA, and Krueger spent the rest of the war as a POW. Krueger was replaced by 2Lt Stephen F.
Davidson as Crew 37’s first pilot. Records do not indicate the manner
in which this crew moved to England – by ship or plane, but they arrived
at Horsham St Faith at some time in January or February 1944.

Crew 37 participated in both of the
diversion missions the 458th flew in support of the Eighth Air Force
“Big Week” at the end of February 1944. They also flew on the 458th
Bomb Group’s first operational mission to Frankfurt, Germany on March
2nd.

The crew, as a whole, did not fly on the
March 6, 1944 raid on Berlin, but 2Lt Casimer J. Kolezynski, co-pilot
and S/Sgt Conrad C. Lunz, ball-turret gunner flew with Crew 29
piloted by 2Lt Jesse L. McMains. They were one of five 458th ships
lost that day. Kolezynski and Lunz bailed out successfully along with
five others of the crew, but two gunners and McMains were killed in
action.

Crew 37 flew two more missions in March
and then, perhaps awaiting replacement crew members, the crew did not
fly again until the April 8th raid on Brunswick, Germany. The crew took
off at 10:40 that morning flying B-24H 41-28671 and carrying a new
co-pilot, 2Lt Gerald G. Banghart and a new gunner, Sgt Orville R. Terry.

753rd Squadron records

“While on
the bomb-run, Lt Davidson’s aircraft was attacked by enemy fighters and
later suffered damage from flak with the result that the rudder controls
were shot away, fuel lines severed, hydraulic system destroyed, part of
the tail assembly shot away, a tire punctured, and a landing strut
damaged. By skillful manipulation of the throttles in lieu of rudder
controls, Lt. Davidson was able to remain in formation and bomb the
target. Sgt. Charles C. Joerger, flight engineer, risked his life by
straddling [the] open bomb bay to patch the broken fuel lines without
informing the crew of the extent of the damage, and enabled the plane to
return to its base where Lt. Davidson landed it successfully despite
the flat tire, no brakes, no flaps, and a damaged landing strut. Sgt.
O.R. Terry, ball-turret gunner on Lt. Davidson’s crew was hit in the
left leg by flak.”

The squadron records also show that in
addition to patching up the damage done to the fuel system, Sgt. Joerger
had time to shoot down an enemy aircraft. 2Lt Gordon E. Wyman,
bombardier, was also credited with an enemy aircraft destroyed from the
nose turret.

In the May section of “Awards and
Decorations” for the 753rd Squadron, T/Sgt Joerger and 1Lt Davidson were
awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for the April 8, 1944 action.
2Lt Gerald G. Banghart was awarded the Soldier’s Medal, and Sgt Orville
R. Terry was awarded the Purple Heart.

The Germans hadn’t heard the last of
Sgt’s Joerger and Terry. On August 15, 1944 the crew was on one of
their final missions to hit German held airfields near Vechta, France.
They had been assigned B-24J 44-40273 Silver Chief. In the vicinity
of Meppel, “an estimated nine E/A attacked our formation using all kinds
of tactics in their effort to destroy as many as possible. None of our
A/C were lost, but our gunners succeeded in destroying three E/A, thus
helping to further deplete the vaunted Luftwaffe”. Joerger and Terry
were each credited with an ME-109 destroyed on this mission and were
awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster to their Air Medals.

Most of the crew completed their 30
missions in August and September and were rotated back to the States or
to other assignments in October and November. 2Lt Wyman went home in
December. S/Sgt William H. Price was “disqualified from aerial flights”
on August 14, 1944. It is not known if he completed a tour.

Crew 37 Missions

DavidsonMissions

Date

Target

458th
Msn

Pilot
Msn

Serial

RCL

Sqdn

A/C Msn

A/C Name

Comments

24-Feb-44

DUTCH
COAST

D1

--

42-52306

--

J4

D1

UNKNOWN
030

Diversion
Mission

25-Feb-44

DUTCH
COAST

D2

--

42-52306

--

J4

D2

UNKNOWN
030

Diversion
Mission

02-Mar-44

FRANKFURT

1

1

42-52306

I

J4

1

UNKNOWN 030

05-Mar-44

BORDEAUX/MERIGNAC

3

2

42-52306

I

J4

3

UNKNOWN 030

09-Mar-44

BRANDENBURG

6

3

41-29300

M

J4

5

LORELEI

15-Mar-44

BRUNSWICK

7

4

42-52392

O

J4

2

WABBIT TWACKS

08-Apr-44

BRUNSWICK/WAGGUM

17

5

41-28671

K

J4

12

UNKNOWN 001

2 FIGHTERS DEST

09-Apr-44

TUTOW
A/F

18

ABT

41-29300

M

J4

--

LORELEI

Bmbdr
ILL, PASSED OUT

12-Apr-44

OSCHERSLEBEN

REC

--

41-28721

L

J4

--

DOWNWIND
LEG

RECALL

13-Apr-44

LECHFELD A/F

21

6

41-28733

P

J4

14

RHAPSODY IN JUNK

18-Apr-44

BRANDENBURG

22

7

41-28735

S

J4

11

UNKNOWN 005

22-Apr-44

HAMM M/Y

25

8

41-28735

S

J4

13

UNKNOWN 005

24-Apr-44

LEIPHEIM
A/F

26

ABT

41-28721

L

J4

--

DOWNWIND
LEG

PILOT
RPT TAIL FLUTTER

25-Apr-44

MANNHEIM A/F

27

9

42-100341

A

J4

12

SATAN'S MATE

26-Apr-44

PADERBORN A/F

28

10

41-28733

P

J4

20

RHAPSODY IN JUNK

27-Apr-44

BLAINVILLE-SUR-L'EAU

30

11

42-50320

J

J4

1

UNKNOWN 018

29-Apr-44

BERLIN

31

ABT

42-50320

J

J4

--

UNKNOWN
018

CP
STOMACH, Bmbdr TOOTHACHE

01-May-44

LIEGE M/Y

32

12

42-50320

J

J4

3

UNKNOWN 018

12-May-44

BOHLEN

40

ABT

42-50320

J

J4

--

UNKNOWN
018

Bmbdr
SEVERE TOOTHACHE

13-May-44

TUTOW A/F

41

13

42-50320

J

J4

11

UNKNOWN 018

19-May-44

BRUNSWICK

42

ABT

42-50320

J

J4

--

UNKNOWN
018

PILOT
THOUGHT RECALL

20-May-44

RHEIMS A/D

43

14

42-50320

J

J4

12

UNKNOWN 018

21-May-44

SIRACOURT

44

ABT

42-50320

J

J4

--

UNKNOWN
018

LOST
ALL ELECTRICAL

23-May-44

BOURGES

45

15

42-50320

J

J4

13

UNKNOWN 018

08-Jun-44

UNSPECIFIED
TGTS

AZ04

--

44-40201

N

J4

--

SILVER
CHIEF

ABANDONED
- WEATHER

24-Jun-44

ST OMER

78

16

41-29352

K

7V

31

WOLVE'S LAIR

MSN #2

28-Jun-44

SAARBRUCKEN

81

ABT

41-28682

I

Z5

--

UNKNOWN
003

TURBOS
FROZEN

01-Aug-44

T.O.s FRANCE

100

17

44-40201

N

J4

6

SILVER CHIEF

02-Aug-44

3 NO BALLS

101

18

44-40201

N

J4

7

SILVER CHIEF

04-Aug-44

ROSTOCK

103

19

42-110141

U

J4

9

BREEZY LADY / MARIE / SUPERMAN

07-Aug-44

GHENT

107

20

44-40201

N

J4

9

SILVER CHIEF

08-Aug-44

CLASTRES

108

21

44-40201

N

J4

10

SILVER CHIEF

09-Aug-44

SAARBRUCKEN

109

22

44-40201

N

J4

11

SILVER CHIEF

14-Aug-44

DOLE/TAVAUX

113

23

44-40201

N

J4

12

SILVER CHIEF

15-Aug-44

VECHTA

114

24

44-40201

N

J4

13

SILVER CHIEF

2 FIGHTERS DEST

17-Aug-44

LE
FOULONS RR BRG

AZ11

25

44-40277

P

J4

6

MISS
USED

10/10
CLOUD NO DROP

25-Aug-44

MOERDIJK,
NETH

AZ12

26

44-40201

N

J4

14

SILVER
CHIEF

SELLERS,
RC Capt OBS

26-Aug-44

MOERDIJK,
NETH

AZ13

27

44-40201

N

J4

15

SILVER
CHIEF

NO
DROP - SORTIE CREDIT

01-Sep-44

RAVENSTEIN,
HOL

AZ14

28

44-40273

T

J4

22

HOWLING
BANSHEE

11-Sep-44

MAGDEBURG

126

29

44-40287

J

J4

15

BACHELOR'S BEDLAM

April 8, 1944 - Battle damage to B-24H-10-DT 41-28671 J4 K

#671 was eventually repaired, but met her end on May 12, 1944 on an ill-fated Test Hop

(Photo: Aaron Oakes)

Lt. Davidson inspects the damage to his aircraft after their return to Horsham St. Faith.

Jack Vogelsang, Frank Boch, Frederick Frenz

(Photos: Anne Zimmer)

T/Sgt Joerger and 1Lt Davidson

Both were awarded DFC's for their actions on April 8th(Photo:AnneZimmer)

Confirmed Victories - April 8, 1944

T/Sgt Joerger and 2Lt Wyman were each credited with an enemy aircraft destroyed.

August 15, 1944 - Mission to Vechta

B-24J 44-40201 N J4 Silver Chief -Davidson and crew on one of their August missions